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For WCAG 2.2 Level AA, text needs a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 against its background, or 3:1 if it qualifies as large text. Important interface visuals such as control boundaries and state indicators require a separate check, generally at 3:1 against adjacent colors. To improve contrast, identify each color pair in context, measure it against the correct threshold, adjust the CSS, and review the rendered result—not just the number.
Choose the right WCAG contrast threshold
WCAG contrast ratios compare the relative luminance of foreground and background colors. A higher ratio means greater contrast, but passing a ratio does not by itself guarantee comfortable reading in every typeface or display context.
| Content checked | WCAG 2.2 criterion | Level AA threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Normal text, including images of text | 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) | At least 4.5:1 |
| Large text, including images of large text | 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) | At least 3:1 |
| Visual information needed to identify UI components or states, and graphical objects needed to understand content | 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast | Generally at least 3:1 against adjacent color(s), subject to the criterion’s exceptions |
These are distinct checks: text on a button may pass while the button’s boundary or state indicator fails. WCAG 2.2 also defines an optional, more demanding Level AAA target under SC 1.4.6: 7:1 for normal text and 4.5:1 for large text.
What counts as large text?
For SC 1.4.3, large text is at least 18 point regular or 14 point bold. Using W3C’s conversion of 1 point to 1.333 CSS pixels, these are approximately 24 CSS px and 18.5 CSS px, respectively. Do not classify text as large based only on how prominent it looks.
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Do not round a failing result up
A ratio below the threshold does not pass just because it is close: 4.499:1 is not 4.5:1. Aim comfortably above the applicable minimum where the design allows, particularly for small or thin text. That extra margin is a practical design choice, not an additional WCAG threshold.
Identify every relevant foreground and background pair
Start with the actual colors that appear together in the rendered interface. W3C’s conformance guidance considers pairs expected to be adjacent in typical presentation, so checking only the default body text misses important cases.
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- Body text, headings, captions, placeholder text, and text over images or colored panels.
- Links in their default, hover, focus, and visited states, where those states change the colors.
- Button and form-control text, plus boundaries, icons, focus indicators, and validation cues when they carry necessary visual information.
- Disabled controls where applicable; note that text forming part of an inactive UI component is an exception to SC 1.4.3.
Include overlays, gradients, transparency, and any backgrounds that affect the final rendered pair. If a foreground or background color is left unspecified, user-agent defaults can create an unexpected combination; W3C identifies specifying only one side of a foreground/background pairing as a common failure.
Improve a failing CSS color pair
- Classify the content. Decide whether it is normal text, large text under the stated size definition, or non-text visual information. Apply the relevant criterion rather than using one threshold for everything.
- Measure the rendered pair. Use a contrast checker to evaluate the foreground and background colors in each relevant state. W3C’s Design System points authors to contrast-checking tools but does not establish a single best checker.
- Adjust one or both colors. If a pair fails, darken the foreground, lighten the background, or make another color change that moves the ratio past the required threshold. Keep both colors deliberately specified where needed.
- Recheck all affected states and uses. A color change to a shared token can improve one component and break another. Re-evaluate each pairing, including hover, focus, and validation states.
- Review the page as rendered. Check the actual typeface, weight, size, background, and neighboring elements. Thin or unusual fonts may look fainter because of antialiasing even when a calculated ratio passes.
- Check meaning without color. Do not use color alone to communicate an error, identify a link, or distinguish a state. Add another cue, such as a label, icon, underline, or pattern as appropriate.
For example, a link that is distinguishable from surrounding text only by a color change can be difficult to identify for some readers. A visible underline provides a non-color cue; its text color still needs to meet the applicable text contrast threshold.
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Check interface visuals separately from text
SC 1.4.11 applies to visual information needed to identify a UI component or its state, and to graphical objects needed to understand content. Where it applies, compare that visual information with its adjacent color(s) against the general 3:1 threshold, accounting for criterion-specific exceptions.
For a button, assess its label as text and separately assess any boundary or icon necessary to recognize the control. For a selected tab, check the state indicator if it communicates selection. A strong text ratio cannot compensate for a low-contrast component edge or state cue. Also ensure the distinction is not conveyed by color alone.
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Common contrast exceptions and boundaries
SC 1.4.3 exempts text that is part of an inactive UI component, purely decorative, not visible to anyone, or part of a picture containing significant other visual content. Text in a logo or brand name is also exempt. These exceptions apply to that criterion; do not assume they automatically settle whether another accessibility requirement applies.
Contrast is one part of accessible design. A passing number does not establish that the wording, type size, font, spacing, focus behavior, or non-color cues work well for every reader.
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